Ring traveler



RING TRAVELER Robert J. Bums and James E. MacAfee, Martinsville, Va.,

assignors to E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware This invention relates to winding of yarns and the like,i concerning especially ring-spinning and .arrangement of traveler and ring therein.

In one form of spinning and twisting apparatus, a yarn guide or t-raveler passes rapidly about a supporting annulus or ring; extended sliding contact between ring and traveler leads to wear of at least one of those elements. Ingenious lubricating methods have been devised to counteract the problem of wear, but these have given rise to additional difiiculties. Recently, use of a strongly abrasion-resistant polymeric material known as nylon for the ring component has met with considerable success, largely eliminating necessity for lubrication; however, another kind of drawback is presented by this combination. As it is apparent that a traveler should present little risk of flying off the ring on which it is used, the ends of the usual metal traveler are sufliciently close together that the traveler must be sprung open for installation on the ring. Although resistant to abrasion, nylon is soft enough to be deformed permanently by the force exerted upon it during such installation of the traveler, and resulting nicks or other non-uniformities in the ring lead to erratic performance of the traveler and consequent deleterious Ieffect i .upon the yarn passing therethrough.

A primary object of this invention is installation of a traveler upon a ring by use of negligible or only nominal force. A further object is provision of a traveler capable of coacting in unique manner With the ring upon Which it travels. Other objects will be apparent from the following description of the invention and the accompanying diagrams.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a form of traveler according to this invention. Figure 2 is a eross-sectional elevation of a ring adapted for use with the traveler of Figure 1. Figure 3 is an elevation, partly in section, showing the traveler of Figure 1 being installed on the ring of Figure 2. Figure 4 is a view similar to that of Figure 3 but showing the traveler at rest on the ring. Figure 5 is another similar view but showing the traveler in Operating position on the ring. L

In general, the objects of the present invention are accomplished by use of a modified C-shaped traveler having an arched back upon an'annular ring having an yexterior flange. The traveler is installed on the ring by rotating it slightly from the vertical'(ti1ting it forward) -so as to place the mouth of the traveler down over the top -of the ring and then reversing the rotation (tilting it back- Ward) to permit the traveler to hang freely thereon. During operation, drag of the yarn passing within the space provided by the arched back of the traveler raises it into contact with the bottom of the ring, While centrifugal force presses the vertical part of the back of the i traveler against the inner edge of the ring. The coaction of traveler and ring is described in more detail below with lreference to the diagrams.

'ice

is not shown, the traveler is a 'simple elliptical shape ing angle 0 with the vertical. At the top end thek back merges into curved -corner 6, which is followed by a.

relatively straightV top part 5, a less sharply curved corner 4, and terminus 3. This top termination formsv angle 6' with the vertical. For convenience, points 11, 12, 14, and in Figure 1 designate respectively the lowermost extent of the dtop terminus, the inside edge of the top, the 15 inside edge of the bottom, and theinner top edgeof the bottom terminus.

Figure 2 shows a vertical section through ring 2 consisting of an annulus having integrally formed top 21 and;v

bottom 22 portions and flange 24 extending at the side. The vertical extent from top to bottom of the ring is called herein the depth, while the side-to-side dimension is the thickness Top 'and bottom clearances with respect to the flange are apparent. Hollow 25 shown by dashed lines in the flange defines an extended top clearance from the bottom of the hollow to the "top' of the ring. Reference characters symbolizing dimensional characteristics of the ring and traveler are named in Table I, endpoints (for the traveler) being at the numbered locations or projections therefrom, as shown in Figure 1.

- Table I For the Traveler For the Ringv symb 01 Name symbol i Name Bottom Hook Top Reach 11, 13

Of course, asfor an ordinary C-shaped traveler, the inside vertical and horizontal dimensions must exceed the corresponding outside dimensions of the ring in order for the traveler to move freely with respect to the ring, regardless of any-problem of installation of the traveleron the ring; thus, in the present termino10gY.H D, TR T, and BR T. Accordingto the present invention, installation of they traveler over the ring can occur without deformation of either (shown in Figure 3) because gap G between the-inside top of the traveler and the top edge of the bottom terminus of the traveler exceeds ring depth D. Despite this feature, unintentional removal of the traveler from the ring is prevented; however, removal by hand is easily accomplished. The forward tilting shown in this figure normally occurs only Vduring installation. Furthermore, the present design prevents removal by any tilting in the opposite direction, Ias may occur during start-up, When drag of yarn inside top corner .6 of the traveler may raise it from the rest vposition shown in Figure 4 and tilt it backward momentarily beforeV centrifugal force associated with movement of the traveler about the -ring becomes suflicient to force the traveler outward into normal -Operating position,'in which contact between bottom 9 of the traveler 'and bottom 22 of the ring replaces normal resting contact of their respective tops 5 and 21. Accordingly, fit F from lowermost point 14 inside the traveler to the top: terminus 11 is less than I:lf-'aftented Apr. 22, 19 584 depth D of the ring; in a sense, F and G here are conversel Figure 5 that bottom-book BH ofV the traveler, the distancebetween Vthe-'levels of points :14 and 15 of the lovvervpart, should be 4less than bottom clearance BC, lthe..,distanc e from the undersida of the supporting flange tothebottom.

of the ring. This is necessary .to prevent the .ring from catchingor chattering against the flangeofthe ring during Winding. Because the traveler settles onto the ring as in Figure 4 upon cessation of operation, it is similarly desirable that :top hook TH, the distance between the levelsof points 12 and V11 of the top part .of the traveler should be less than top clearance TC, the distance from the top side of the ring flange to the top 'of the ring. lt will be apparent also that When thetraveler is tilted forward onto -the ring, the top terminus .of the traveler should not contact the ring flange; thus, insertion I, the distance parallel to the sides of the straight top terminus betweenk points 12 and 11, should be less thantop .clearance TC. Alternatively, a depression or hollow V(dashed lines).can be provided in theflange at the desired installation point to constitute extended top clearance XT C, Which Will accommodate enough Vof the top .terminus temporarily without distortion of either element. V Optionally,.extendedclearance may be provided hy eliminating the flange completely at one or more sectors on the ring. Flange-wiclth FW normally is considerably less than either thickness T or depth D- of the ring, the flange being present primarily to stiffen the structure and to provide a fastening location for a ring-supporting member, Which usually also "traverses the ring up and down the length of the spindle (or bobbin supported thereon).

In Figure 5, yarn 20 is visible passing within the top internal corner of the traveler, Which appears in the normal Operating position. ISet S is the length of a perpendicular from arch -point13 of the-back to the gap line connecting points12 andflS; it conveniently approximates half the ring-thickness to facilitate installation, as shown in iFigure'3. Angle '6' made by the' hooked top end of the traveler 'with the vertical usually does Vnot differ greatly fromthev angle of arch 6, 'but it .mayvvary therefrom by yas .much-as a factor of-ten in ieither direction (comparison in degrees).

When a steel traveler having a maximum crosssectional dimension Within the range of 0.914 .to-0.-l25,inch is used with a nylon ring having a diameter of 3 to 8 inches, relative dimensions appear-ing inthe following table are preferred for smoothness of operatonandireduction in wear.

The described 'traveler does not separate from the ring during string-up, Winding, or in the quiescentor testing state. The attitude of the traveler With respect to the ring during installation is not Vdnplicated in normal operation or at rest orduring transition from one state to the other, whether startinglor Stopping. .The advantages of such an arrangement are obvious. In particular, this enables hardened travelers to be used satisfactorily on rings made of Softer materials. instead of steel, the traveler may be made of other metal or of ceramic; brttleness of the traveler is not a handicap because the traveler need not or a polyester, as well as other resinous polymeric substances. i Either traveler or ring may incorporate graphite or other lubricant or finely divided metal, such as copper or lead, for modification of surface Characteristics or other purposes; in general, no lubrication is necessary with the described traveler-ring combinations. Not only are maintenance and replacement'costs lessened greatly but winding tensions become much more uniform throughout the useful lives of both ring and traveler, greatly reducing the incidenceof broken filaments, barre, and other defects in the yarn processed thereby.

The claimed invention:

1. In a ring-spinning machine including a horizontal annular ring having an exterior flange defining top and bottom clearances thereon, the improvement comprsing a modified C-shaped traveler having a back arched through an appreciable angle, and having a gap from inside the top to the terminus of the hooked bottom thereof greater than the vertical depth of the ring and a fit from the inside bottom to the terminus of the hooked V top thereof less than said depth.

2,. Inapparatus according to claim l in which the ring is composed lof a resinous polymeric Substance, the improvement comprising a traveler made of material harder than the ring composition and characterized further by horizontal reach of the hooked top greater than the horizontal thickness of the ring exclusive of the flange and by horizontal reach of the hooked bottom greater than said thickness, the top reach exceeding the bottom reach, and byhaving a top hook less in extent-than the top clearance of the ring and a bottom hook less in extent than the bottom clearanceof the ring.

3. ln combination, a nylon spinning and twisting ring and a metallic traveler having the relative dimcnsions appearing in Table H wherein the reference characters have the meanings as'crihed to them in Table I hereof.

4. Apparatus comprising, in combination, an annular ring of substantially uniform axial depth and radial thickness having an exterior flange defining separate clearances thereomeach clearance being the axial distance dcpth- Wise along the ring from a substantially perpendicnlar surface of the flange, and a generally C-shaped traveler i opening from one terminus to the furthermost opposite be sprung to place it on the ring. As a constituent of .m

inside surface of the traveler to an extent greater than the ring depth Iand opening from the other terminus to the furthermost inside surface of the traveler opposite that terminus to an extent less than the ring depth, whereby the traveler fits without distortion onto the ring upon location of the greater of the two openings in depthwisc alignment With the ring, each of the respective clearanccs being sufiicient to accommodate the corresponding terminus of the traveler.

' 5."The ring-spinning machine of claim l in Which the modified G-shaped-traveler hasV the relative dimensions appearingin .Table II Wherein the reference characters have the means ascribed tothem in Table I hereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent v UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,9,37,676 Wentworth Dec. 5, 1933 2,118,873 Wentworth May 31, 1938 2',12l,647 Wentworth Iune 2l, 1938 2,223,774 Wood et al. Dec. 3, 1940 l2,335121 Jerome Nov. 23, 1943 2,772,'535 Kobayoshi Dec. v4, 1956 Fomsioisi PATBNTS i 905,828 Germany Mar. 8, 1954 

